The good news from the Supreme Court regarding the recognition of same-sex marriages in all fifty states has meant different things to different people. For couples who had married in other states, and subsequently moved to Tennessee, that may have resulted in being trapped in a dead marriage and unable to get divorced. Life in general, jobs, and other obligations made it impractical, if not impossible, to move to another state and establish required residency in order to get a much needed divorce.

Just a few months ago, I had a call from a psychotherapist who asked if my Second Saturday divorce workshops were appropriate for someone in a same-sex marriage. Of course, my answer was a resounding "Yes," although I had to add that I had no idea how she would get the necessary divorce in the state of Tennessee. Today, the answer would be ,"Yes, and the information from the workshop will help her make better decisions regarding the divorce process and desired outcomes."

If you know of someone who has been in a seemingly hopeless situation and ready for a long-overdue divorce, please have them visit call the number at the left for more information on the financial issues of divorce, and help as needed.

Blog

05/21/2018

The conversation regarding which parent should claim the children as dependents has changed dramatically since the recent tax reform, effective January 2018, eliminated the personal exemption. Yes, that $4,050 (in 2017) tax exemption per child is gone. Parents will not even get that exemption for themselves. This is causing extensive confusion among attorneys and clients alike. The Parenting Plan template has not been revised to reflect this and still contains an entire section dedicated to which...

12/28/2017

The most significant tax reform in thirty years was signed into law December 22. With barely a week to understand how it impacts all open and future divorce cases, it became effective January 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. Many of the provisions have sunset dates, upon which rules will revert to pre-2018, unless extended.
Alimony, beginning January 1, 2019, will not be tax deductible for payer, nor taxable to the recipient. Modified orders, after that same effective date, will adhere to the...

11/09/2017

Content of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was revealed last week and, as it now stands, alimony discussions will change dramatically. If approved in its current state, on this issue, going forward as of January 1, 2018, no alimony will be tax deductible for the payer, nor taxable to the recipient. This includes all alimony modifications made after January 1. All standing alimony orders will retain their current tax status for payer and recipient.
The TCJA is the most sweeping tax reform proposed...